After trying and failing to find a city to host his Museum of the Narrative Arts, pioneering filmmaker George Lucas has finally found a home for it, and in a statement confirmed today by mayor Eric Garcetti, that home will be Los Angeles. Lucas tried to find a home for his museum in Chicago, but the city ultimately rejected his plan. San Francisco was also very close to being the home for this museum, but ultimately, Los Angeles won out. The new $1 billion dollar museum will be erected near Exposition Park, a hop, skip, and a jump away from Lucas’ alma mater, USC.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is set to feature pieces from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones creator’s own personal collection, including memorabilia from Star Wars and many other films. The futuristic design for the museum, which itself almost looks like a spaceship for a sci-fi film, comes from Chinese architect Ma Yansong. The 72-year-old Lucas has spent a decade trying to bring about a museum for his art collection, which consists of about 10,000 paintings and illustrations including works by Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, and R. Crumb, along with Hollywood memorabilia from classic Disney films, as well as movies like The Ten Commandments and, obviously, Lucas’ own movies.
In a statement, the museum’s board of directors said “After extensive due diligence and deliberation, the Board of Directors of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is pleased to announce plans to build the museum in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. We have been humbled by the overwhelmingly positive support we received from both San Francisco and Los Angeles during our selection process. Settling on a location proved to be an extremely difficult decision precisely because of the desirability of both sites and cities. Now we turn our attention to finalizing the details and building what we believe will be one of the most imaginative and inclusive art museums in the world—a global destination that all Angelenos and Californians will be proud to call their own.”
In a statement, LA mayor Eric Garcetti added “art exists to inspire, to move, to educate, and to excite. Thanks to George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, millions of Angelenos and visitors will enjoy an extraordinary collection anchored in storytelling—an art that carries so much meaning in the history and legacy of Los Angeles. LA is gaining a new jewel with the breathtaking Lucas Museum of Narrative Art—and its presence here means that a day at Exposition Park will soon bring unrivaled opportunities to be immersed in stories told on canvas and celluloid, be moved by the richness of African-American history and expression, be awed by the wonders of science and the natural world, take a journey to the world of space exploration, and sit in the stands for a world-class sporting event.”
No word yet on when the museum plans to break ground, or when they plan to open. But with something of this size, it could be a while. You can see preliminary designs for the massive $1 billion dollar project down below in our gallery.
What do you think of this sure to be amazing museum finally finding a home? And what do you hope to see in it when it does open its door to the public? Let us know down below in the comments.
Images: Lucasfilm /The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art/City of Los Angeles
